CHAPTER 9: THE CASTLE OF THE JEWS – FORTRESS AND HEART

CHAPTER 9: THE CASTLE OF THE JEWS – FORTRESS AND HEART Series: Medieval Jewish Quarter of Zaragoza Narrator: Ibn Gabirol ,Shelomó ibn Gabirol Direction and Production: Javier Bona López Documentation and Advisory: Miguel Ángel Motis Dolader (Universidad San Jorge de Zaragoza) Episode Description In this ninth chapter of our series on the medieval Jewish Quarter of Zaragoza, Ibn Gabirol guides us to the epicenter of power and autonomy of the Jewish community: the Jewish Castle. It was not a lordly fortress like the Aljafería, but a heart of stone that beat to the rhythm of law, faith, and survival. Strategically located in the southeastern corner of the judería, attached to the Roman wall, the Castle stood where the Seminary of San Carlos is today. This complex of six to seven stone towers was the true "functional axis" of the judería, far more important than any main square or street. You will discover: • The structure and function of the Castle as the seat of Jewish self-government • The Bet Din: the rabbinical court of justice that administered Mosaic law • The legal autonomy of the aljama, including the power to apply capital punishment until 1391 • The archives that safeguarded the memory and rights of the community • The symbiosis between the Castle, the Great Synagogue, the hospital, and the kosher butcher shop • The Castle's function as a refuge during the pogroms of 1391 • The final fate: abandonment after the expulsion of 1492 and demolition in 1525 The Jewish Castle was the symbol of the community's capacity for self-government, the guardian of its law and memory. A heart of stone that, although it no longer beats today, left an indelible mark on the soul of Zaragoza. FINAL NOTE If you enjoyed this chapter, I invite you to share and spread it. You can also listen to our other series about the medieval Jewish quarters of Calatayud, Tarazona, and Híjar on the three main podcast platforms. Zakhor. Remember. Shalom. CREDITS AND SOURCES Narrator: Ibn Gabirol (Shelomó ibn Gabirol, 1021–1058/70) Direction and Production: Javier Bona López Research and Advisory: Miguel Ángel Motis Dolader (San Jorge University of Zaragoza) Main Sources: • Asunción Blasco Martínez. La Judería de Zaragoza en el siglo XIV. Instituto Fernando el Católico (IFC), 1988. • Miguel Ángel Motis Dolader. La judería de Zaragoza: Centro de la vida económica y social. Rolde de Estudios Aragoneses. • Miguel Ángel Motis-Dolader, Ana Ruiz-Varona, Lourdes Pérez-López. Urban Morphology and Functional Hierarchy of the Jewish Quarter of Zaragoza (Spain) at the End of the Fifteenth Century. Journal of Urban History, 2023. • Ángel Canellas López. La Judería Zaragozana. Cuadernos de Zaragoza, no. 2, 1974. • Asunción Blasco Martínez & Susana Lozano Gracia. La Judería de Zaragoza - Paso a Paso. Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza, 2023. • Sefarad Aragón. La desaparecida judería de Zaragoza. Self-published, 2010. • Leopoldo Torres Balbás. Trabajos sobre la judería de Zaragoza y sus baños. • Patrimonio Cultural de Aragón. Institutional records. • Guía de la Judería de Zaragoza. Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza. • Zaragoza Municipal Archive (AMZ). Historical maps. © Series: Medieval Jewish Quarter of Zaragoza Production: Javier Bona López